Multiservice/system operators (MSOs), such as cable system operators, that provide telephony, television, and Internet services will generally build out a metropolitan area, or portion thereof, using a majority of a single vendor's equipment for providing secure services to customers. For example, a cable operator with operations in Orlando and Tampa may use manufacturer or vendor A's equipment in Orlando, and vendor B's equipment in Tampa. Supplier diversity and interoperability issues have generally driven this model. Having more than one supplier for equipment reduces overall risk for the cable operator. However, equipment from the various vendors is usually not interchangeable, e.g., vendor A's set-top box in a subscriber's home will usually not be able to interoperate with or decrypt services from vendor B's equipment in a headend facility.
In addition, cable system operators are facing ever increasing demands for bandwidth. Consumers are demanding faster Internet and more high definition (HD) television programs. In order to handle the increased bandwidth demands, cable system operators have been removing traditional analog programming and adding digital programming, which is less bandwidth intensive. Cable system operators are ready to transition to an “all digital” system. In order to go all digital, cable system operators must provide a means for the consumer to tune to these digital channels since many existing televisions are only analog cable ready and thus do not require a set-top box. One industry solution has been the universal Digital Transport Adapter (DTA) that can be manufactured by a variety of vendors. DTAs are relatively inexpensive and are a means for cable operators to smooth the transition for consumers to an all digital system. DTAs are receive-only devices, disposed inline on a cable feed to a customer's television, that employ a content protection scheme that is simpler than the high levels of encryption used in modern cable systems. Cable operators would prefer to employ DTAs from various vendors that can all operate securely within any given service area.